Group aims for real-time Ethernet standards

An EPSG (Ethernet Powerlink Standardization Group) product story

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Jul 3, 2003

The EPSG (Ethernet Powerlink Standardization Group) is a new association set up to meet the interests of both vendors and end users.

The EPSG (Ethernet Powerlink Standardization Group) is a new association set up to meet the interests of both vendors and end users.

What started as co-operation between B and R, Hirschmann Electronics, Lenze, Kuka Roboter and the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHW) to develop a standard for real-time Ethernet has now a juridical fundament and a clear organisational basis.

Dr Edwin Kiel, Managing Director Lenze Drive Systems in Hameln (Germany) has been elected as Chairman of the Board.

"I'm pleased to further accelerate the technological development and worldwide deployment of Ethernet Powerlink with this association", says Dr Kiel.

"Our technology is already being used in many serial machines all over the world.

We get many inquiries and ideas for extensions from third-party vendors every day.

The association with office in Winterthur (Switzerland) will give us a clear and efficient organisation, and opens the group for more members".

Already on day one, the EPSG was able to welcome its new members Baldor Drives and Motors (UK) and Lust Antriebstechnik (Germany).

The EPSG is working on further development, deployment and standardisation of real-time datacommunications via Ethernet.

The base technologies are Ethernet Powerlink and standards like IEEE1588.

With Ethernet Powerlink, the EPSG owns the only available real-time Ethernet technology which has already been in use in serial machines for more than a year.

No other approach can offer similar robustness and maturity.

Important features like cross-traffic, TCP/IP support and accuracy in the submicrosecond range allow its use in applications with the most sophisticated real-time requirements.

In comparison to other approaches, the EPSG solution does not need any customised building blocks like ASICs.

Only off-the-shelf devices are necessary and there is no violation of any established standard.

"This is the only way to guarantee maximum availability to third-party vendors and to end-users, as they can tailor implementations to their particular needs", says Dr Kiel.

"The EPSG standard avoids dependencies on any particular component or vendor from the very beginning.

Only this openness guarantees long-term availability and maintenance as demanded in the automation industry".

The EPSG co-operates with established Ethernet associations and does not position itself as a competitor to these.

The goal is to combine established standards to a complete solution in an optimised manner.

At Hannover Messe 2003, many leading corporations expressed their interest to contribute and join the EPSG.

With its foundation, the EPSG invites all interested vendors, end-users and research institutes to join in order to shape the future of real-time Ethernet.

Statutes, membership information and application forms can be downloaded from the association's website or can be ordered from the EPSG office.